LinkedIn can be a great place to connect with potential clients and generate new business through cold outreach and sales calls. However, cold calling on LinkedIn requires a strategic approach in order to be effective. Some key things to keep in mind are crafting an appealing LinkedIn profile, researching your prospects, personalizing your outreach, and having a clear and concise sales pitch ready.
Why Use LinkedIn for Cold Calling?
There are several advantages to using LinkedIn for cold calling:
- Access to extensive professional networks – With over 722 million users, LinkedIn provides access to a massive pool of prospects.
- Ability to research prospects – You can view prospect profiles and groups on LinkedIn to gather helpful intel before reaching out.
- More direct contact options – You can message prospects directly on LinkedIn instead of having to find email addresses.
- Higher response rates – Response rates tend to be higher on LinkedIn compared to email.
- Perception of credibility – Prospects may see you as more credible and legitimate given your LinkedIn presence.
Overall, LinkedIn can enable more targeted, personalized, and effective cold outreach to potential clients.
Craft an Appealing LinkedIn Profile
Before reaching out to any prospects, make sure your own LinkedIn profile is optimized to build credibility:
- Professional headshot photo
- Succinct, keyword-rich headline
- Compelling background summary
- Details of work experience and achievements
- Recommendations from past clients/colleagues
- Groups and affiliations to highlight
Prospects will likely check out your profile before responding. So make sure it conveys expertise and aligns with your target audience.
Research Your Prospects
Take time to research prospects on LinkedIn before contacting them. Useful information to gather:
- Current job title and responsibilities
- Work history and background
- Skills, interests, and affiliations
- Content they’ve posted or engaged with
- Connections you may have in common
This enables you to understand their potential needs and tailor your outreach accordingly. Tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator can aid research.
Look for Triggers to Connect
Also look for any triggers that allow you to make an initial connection:
- New job or promotion
- Work anniversary
- New projects mentioned
- Company funding announcements
- Recent content they posted
Mentioning these in your outreach makes it more relevant.
Personalize Your First Message
Personalized messages have much higher open and response rates. Avoid generic templates.
Use Their Name
Always address them by name (Hi [First Name]) rather than just saying “Hi there”.
Note Something Specific
Mention something you noticed that’s specific to them, like:
- “I see you just started as Marketing Manager at ABC Company…”
- “Looks like you hit your 5 year work anniversary at XYZ recently…”
- “I noticed we’re both members of the Digital Marketing Association…”
This shows you took time to review their profile.
Compliment Their Work
If relevant, pay them an authentic compliment like:
- “I liked your recent post on social media trends – great insights!”
- “Your presentation at the Sales Conference was really insightful. Great job!”
This starts the conversation off positively.
Make a Personal Connection
If you have any common connections, mention them such as:
“I see we’re both connected with Jane Smith at ABC Company.”
This helps establish rapport quickly.
Structure Your Sales Pitch
Keep your initial outreach message brief and concise – around 2-3 short paragraphs. Get to the point quickly.
Start With a Warm Introduction
Summarize who you are, your company, and role. Focus on how you can add value.
Note Your Common Ground
Bridge into what you have in common based on your research of their profile. This relates back to personalization.
Transition Into Your Offer
Briefly explain your offering, how it solves problems for people like them, and key benefits. Focus on their needs.
End With a Clear CTA
Close with a specific Call-To-Action to schedule a call or connect at a certain date and time. Make it easy for them.
Here’s an example pitch summary:
“Hi [Name], I’m [Your Name], a [Your Role] at [Company]. I noticed we’re both members of [Common Group]. At [Company] we work with companies like [Their Company] to help increase leads through SEO. Based on your role, I thought our [Offering] would be a great fit to help you achieve [Goal]. Would you be open to a quick 20 minute call on Thursday at 10am EST to discuss further? Let me know if that works for you!”
Follow Up Politely
If they don’t respond after a few days, follow up. A simple message like “Hi [Name], just circling back on my earlier message in case it got lost in the shuffle. Let me know if you’re interested in discussing further!” shows perseverance.
Generally 2-3 polite follow ups spaced a few days apart is appropriate before ceasing contact.
Connect on Other Channels
If contacting them on LinkedIn directly isn’t working, try finding their email address or phone number on their website or company contacts page. Email or call them while referencing that you connected on LinkedIn.
Avoid Aggressive Tactics
Be careful not to overdo outreach across multiple channels, as that can come across as overly aggressive. Limit follow up to 1-2 polite attempts per channel.
Expand Your Network Over Time
The more connections you build on LinkedIn, the greater your access will be to their networks. This expands your reach exponentially.
Engage With Content and Groups
Commenting on posts, sharing content, and participating in Groups raises your profile andvisibility. This leads to more network growth.
Ask for Introductions
Once connected, ask existing contacts for introductions to others in their network who may be good prospects. A warm introduction goes a long way.
Optimize Your LinkedIn Settings
Adjust your account settings to facilitate connecting with more prospects:
- Expand profile visibility to 3rd degree connections or “Public”
- Enable seamless share options for your profile and content
- Customize contact info sections and URLs
- Show “Open to Mentoring” to establish expertise
- Indicate you’re open to “New Opportunities”
Tweak your notifications and preferences as well.
Follow Up With New Connections
Once prospects accept your invitation to connect, follow up again within a couple weeks. Reinforce why you connected and explore needs.
Send an InMail or Message
Thank them for connecting, recap your conversation, and offer to help. Alternatively, introduce them to someone else in your network who could be helpful.
Share Relevant Content
Forwarding a recent article, post, or piece of content shows you’re looking out for them.
Explore Next Steps
Ask about meeting for a quick coffee, virtual call, or perhaps visiting their office to continue the dialogue.
Review Your LinkedIn Analytics
Analyze your LinkedIn activity and engagement within the Analytics section. Identify opportunities to enhance your effectiveness.
Connection Volume and Growth
Track how many new connections you’re establishing over time. Set goals to expand your network by certain percentages.
Post Engagement
See which types of content are driving the most reactions, comments, shares, and clicks. Double down on those areas.
Profile Visitors
Monitor which companies visit your profile. Reach out to contacts at those organizations for potential opportunities.
Continue Providing Value
The key to ongoing success on LinkedIn is consistently providing value through your activities and engagement. Avoid spammy behavior.
Share Insights and Advice
Posting regular content that educates and helps your network establishes trust and credibility. Become a trusted advisor.
Give Recommendations
Take time to endorse contacts and provide thoughtful recommendations. This gesture means a lot.
Promote Your Connections
Like and share updates from those in your network. Aim to advance their careers alongside your own.
Conclusion
Mastering cold outreach through LinkedIn requires an intentional approach focused on personalization, value, and relationship-building. Set yourself apart by doing your research, crafting thoughtful messages, and exhibiting patience and persistence. The foundation to success on LinkedIn is establishing authentic connections and becoming a trusted member of your professional community. Apply these best practices, continue optimizing your process, and remain patient. Done right, LinkedIn can be a powerful channel for generating new business and elevating your career over the long term.
Summary
Here are some key tips for successfully starting cold calls on LinkedIn:
- Optimize your LinkedIn profile to build credibility
- Thoroughly research prospects before contacting them
- Personalize your first message with specifics about them
- Craft a clear, concise sales pitch focused on their needs
- Politely follow up if they don’t respond initially
- Expand your network over time for greater access
- Adjust your account settings to facilitate outreach
- Follow up with new connections to explore next steps
- Review your LinkedIn analytics to identify optimization opportunities
- Consistently share insights and add value for your network
With a strategic, personalized approach, LinkedIn can be very effective for generating new business through cold calling. The key is patience, persistence, and always keeping the focus on value for your prospects.
